Wood wind instrument.



N. ALBERTI.

' WOOD WIND INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION r IIIII AR.1.. 1913.

1,103,555. Patented July 14,1914,

INVENTOR 5 NICHOLAS ALBERTI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WOOD WIND INSTRUMENT;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Original application filed August 5, 1911, Serial No. 642,447. Dividedand this. application filed March 1,

. provide means for simultaneously changing the pitch of the notesproduced by the opening of the different valves.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device which iscomparatively simple in its construction for accomplishing thefirst-named objects, and which is not liable to get out of order.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis application in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, Fig. 2is a plan view of the inner tube, the end piece being removed and Fig. 3is a detail view showing the relative positions of the openings in thesleeve and the inner tube.

In explanation of the purpose of the device, I may say that there is inuse in this country and in others what is known as concert pitch andinternational pitch, the latter being approximately one-half tone lowerthan the former. Many times musicians are obliged to make use of both ofthese pitches, or they are compelled to transpose the music, which is avery difficult thing to do, and can only be done after one becomes anexpert. It is customary with some musicians tohave instruments ofdifferent pitch, but this is expensive and necessitates the carrying ofan extra instrument.

My purpose as stated above, is to provide a device which may be quicklychanged by a semitone.

This application is a division of a prior application, #642,447, filedAugust 5, 1911.

Referring now to Fig. 2 I have shown a Serial No. 751,444.

mouth piece A secured to the end member A of an inner tube or soundingpipe B. The latter is provided with a series of openings b the distancebetween these openings representing a half tone. Near the end mem ber Athe tube B is provided with four small openings Z), the distance betweenthese openings also corresponding to a half tone.

A sleeve D is provided with openings d which are made progressivelylonger from the end nearest the mouth piece to the opposite end andwhich are arranged to register with the openings in the tube or soundingpipe B when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. On theopposite end of the tube B from the end member A is secured an endmember C as shown in Fig. 3. The tube B. is provided with a longitudinalguide slot 6 in which a guide pin d carried by the sleeve D projects toguide the sleeve in its movement on the tube. The openings (Z in thesleeve D are covered by valves V which are arranged to be operated inany suitable manner. In the drawing I have shown only part of thesevalves, but it will be understood that each of the openings (Z in thesleeve D is to be covered by a valve. Two smaller valves V are intendedto cover the four small openings 1) in the tube B as will be hereinafterexplained. It will be noted that there is only one set of valves forthis instrument, and that this one set of valves serves for operatingthe instrument in either pitch.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

If it is desired to vary the pitch by half a tone the sleeve D is movedrelatively to the tube or pipe B so that the openings in the sleeve Dnow register with the openings adjacent to those with which theyformerly registered. This will result in the changing of the pitch ofall of the notes of the instrument half a tone. The first and secondsmall valves V (counting from the left end of Fig. 1) will cover thefirst and third small holes 6* respectively, in the normal position ofthe sleeve D. In the shifted position of the sleeve D these valves willcover the second and fourth openings respectively.

It will be apparent that only one set of valves is necessary since allof the valves are shifted simultaneously. The mechanism is simple and isnot likely to get out of order like those instruments in which one setof valves are put into or out of commission and a new set of valves isused.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a flute, it will beobvious that it is equally applicable to a reed instrument such as aclarinet in which the different tones are produced by covering oruncovering openings in the sounding pipe. I therefore do not considerthe invention limited to a flute, but consider it is applicable to anydevice in which the tones are produced by uncovering and covering theopenings in the sounding pipe.

I claim:

1. In a Wood wind instrument, a soundingpipe provided with a single setof openings, the distance between the openings corresponding to asemitone, a sleeve mounted on said sounding pipe and having a single setof valve openings arranged to register with some of the openings in saidpipe, a single set of valves arranged to close the valve openings insaid sleeve, said sleeve being movable longitudinally of said pipe, themovement of said sleeve serving to bring each valve into registrationWith the opening in the pipe adjacent to that with which it firstregistered.

2. In a wood wind instrument, a sounding pipe provided with a single setof openings, the distance between the openings corresponding to asemitone, a sleeve mounted on said sounding pipe and having a single setof valve openings arranged to register with some of the openings in saidpipe, a singl set of valves arranged to close the valve-openings in saidsleeve, said sleeve being movable longitudinally of said pipe, themovement of said sleeve serving to bring each valve into registrationwith the opening in the pipe adjacent to that with which it firstregistered, and means for guiding the sleeve in its movement, said meanscomprising a pin carried by the sleeve and arranged to extend in a slotin the pipe.

3. In a wood wind instrument, a sounding pipe provided with a single setof openings, the distance between the openings corresponding to asemitone, a sleeve mounted on said pipe and having a single set of valveopenings arranged to register with some of the openings in said pipe, asingle set of valves or keys arranged to close the valve openings insaid sleeve, said sleeve being movable on said pipe in a longitudinaldirection, the movement of said sleeve serving to vary the registrationof all the openings in the sleeve with the openings in the said pipe sothat when the sleeve is moved toward the mouth piece its valve openingswill register with openings of the said pipe that will be a half tonehigher than when the said sleeve is moved and set in its position awayfrom the mouth piece.

4. In a wood wind instrument, a sounding pipe provided with a single setof openings, the distance between said openings being progressivelygreater from one end of the pipe to the other, said distance between theopenings corresponding to a semitone, a sleeve mounted on said soundingpipe and having a single set of openings of progressively greater lengthand arranged to register with some of the openings in said pipe, asingle set of valves to close the openings in said sleeve, said sleevebeing movable longitudinally of said pipe, to bring each valve intoregistration with the opening adjacent to that with which it isregistered.

NICHOLAS ALBERTI.

Vvitnesses:

JosnrH MienroNroo, ALFREDO MANTINI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). O.

